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Before arriving to Budapest I took some time to research the food and boy was I surprised by all the delicious looking options. It was very difficult to pick only four but we were very happy with our choices and think that you’ll enjoy them as well.

#1. Halászle (Fishermans Soup)

I didn’t want to go for the typical goulash meal so with a bit more digging I found a dish thats possibly even more traditional. This hearty fish soup was originally prepared by fishermen along the banks of the Danube and Tisza Rivers, but has since become one of the most popular Christmas Eve dishes in Hungary.

A number of versions exist, some are served over pasta, others include cream, but all are made using freshwater fish such as carp, perch or pike. Josh and I decided to go a bit out of the city center to enjoy this iconic soup hoping to get the local experience and I was very happy with the outcome.

#2. Hortobágyi Palacsinta (Savory Hungarian Pancake)

Josh loves pancakes savory or sweet so I knew this dish would be a home run. Hotobágyi can be made with chicken or veal. I was dead set on getting the veal version.

Traditionally the veal is cooked in a type of stew with mushrooms and onions. Its then stuffed into a “pancake” or what we would call a crape. Then its oven backed with a paprika and sour cream sauce. It was creamy and delicious.

#3. Dobos Torte

The legend of dobos torte started in 1885, when the Hungarian confectioner József C. Dobos introduced his pioneering cake at the National General Exhibition of Budapest. Dobos torte is among the most prominent Hungarian dishes, made from sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel. Even though this tasty treat can be found all throughout Hungary Josh and I wanted to try it in a tradition bakery. Although Ruszwurm Confectionary is in a very touristic location they have kept to the same recipes for over 100 years.

#4 (bonus) Krémes

Lastly while visiting Ruszwurm Confectionary we couldn’t leave with out trying their Hungarian vanilla custard, layered between crisp, flaky slices of pastry, make up this delicious sweet treat, which is a favorite dessert across the country. This yummy, creamy, pillowy dessert is the star as the recipe has not changed in over 170 years.

Let us know below what dish you’d like to try when visiting Hungary. We’d love to know.

Stir fry the finely chopped onions in a little oil until “glassy.” Remove from the stove and stir in the paprika powder. Mix it well and add a touch of water and let simmer.

Add the chicken pieces and return the pan to the stove. Add the cut pepper and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Now add water until it covers half of the chicken legs. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and add the lid. Simmer until the chicken is tender. If you need to add more water feel free to do so to ensure the chicken will not burn but too much water will ruin the dish.

Using a bowl mix the flour into the sour cream. Stir until smooth. Take a tea spoon of the juice from the cooking dish and mix it in with the sour cream. Do this twice before adding the sour cream.

Dumplings (Nokedli)

Using a deep bowl, mix flour, salt, eggs and as much water needed to give it a sticky dough consistency. Be careful not to make the dough too thin. It’s best to be a thicker dough.

Put the dumplings maker (a cheese grater will work as a substitute) over the pot of boiling water. Add the dough to the dumpling maker and slide it back and forth allowing the small pieces of dough to fall into the boiling water.

Cook the dough, until it starts to float on the top of the water. This indicates that its finished. Add to a strainer and run under lukewarm water. Add a little oil to it so the pieces don’t stick together.

Last thing to do is add the two dishes together and enjoy!!

Ingredients:

½ Kilo Freekeh

2 Onions

2 Cups of chickpeas (boiled or canned) With fresh chickpeas put them in a bowl of room temp water 24 hours ahead of time. Right before preparing boil the chickpeas and set aside. *Use canned chickpeas as is.

Meat (chicken or lamb)

2 Tablespoons of english pepper (Allspice)

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon salt

½ teaspoon of nutmeg

Preparations:

Heat olive oil in large pot

Slice one onion and add to the pot. Fry for 4 minutes until they begin to brown.

Cut meat into small pieces and add to the pot. Then cover the pot. Cook on low heat until the meat is well cooked.

Now add the Freeke, english pepper(allspice), cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, chickpeas, and water mixing it well.

After cooking, let sit for 15 min. Make sure the pot is covered so that the freekeh absorbs all the water.

Make a fresh Salad to go along with your meal, Eat and enjoy

We think you could possibly get Freekeh in specialty Arabic stores or in Whole Foods in the U.S.
An option if you are unable to get your hands on some Freekeh would be to substitute another grain in the recipe.

If your traveler is on the go often enough, access to airport lounges is almost a necessity. While some credit cards offer a low-tier lounge access option, an actual Priority Pass is a god-send and luxury for the frequent traveler. http://bit.ly/2i25Xzq

Whether in the air, on a train, or waiting on a friend at a cafe, an ebook reader is a wonderful travel companion. My favorite is the Kindle Paperwhite. With access to the full Amazon book library, a “paper like” screen, and a long lasting battery, the kindle paperwhite is the last book you’ll need to buy. http://amzn.to/2A73qbW

The airplane, the bus, the cars on the street, it’s all noisy. And when you need to relax, a pair of noise cancelling headphones can do wonders to remove the stress of the environment. I’ve selected two options here for you in two different price brackets so you can find your perfect pair. Bohm http://amzn.to/2hOxPTS Bose http://amzn.to/2A34nE4

Whether on a short trip in a backpack, or packing for a month abroad, packing cubes are a great way of organizing your luggage. Put shirts in one packing cube, pants, in another, and socks and underwear in yet another. Accessing your clothes becomes super convenient with packing cubes. http://amzn.to/2jVZdnu

If you are traveling to cold weather, a jacket is a must. Perfect for layering and packing, a down jacket is the answer. The jackets I’ve selected can be smushed down into a small size for putting inside your luggage. Plus they can easily be layered with a rain jacket or more styling out coat to keep you nice and toasty in the winter weather.

When traveling abroad, sometimes your cell phone carrier doesn’t offer the right coverage for where you are doing to. Or the prices are just not worth it. But with the GigSky data SIM, you can order data while on the go. Before your next trip, get a GigSky travel data SIM card and top it up with credit. http://amzn.to/2zzbzbW

Whether at hotels, AirBnbs or camping, it’s nice to pamper yourself and keep clean. A shampoo bar is a much more convenient than trying to carry liquids on the plane. Plus you don’t have to worry about a mess spilling all over your luggage. http://amzn.to/2A69zoT

I take notes almost every day. And I like to keep my pockets slim at all times. With enough room for my essentials (cards and some cash) plus a notepad and pen combo, this wallet is one of my favorite purchases ever. http://amzn.to/2zhiBhp

Similar to AirBnb experiences, Triple is the new kid on the block for unique locals experiences while abroad. With Triple, locals will list an experience they can offer that is unique to the area, and you can join them. In Paris, we used triple to learn how to macarons and cheese in two different experiences. Highly recommended. http://bit.ly/2A6X8cg

It’s not a cop-out! Sometimes the most thoughtful gift is to let someone choose exactly what they want. Even if it’s not enough to buy the exact item someone has in mind, an Amazon credit can be applied to a larger purchase so someone can get the item for themselves that they truly want. http://amzn.to/2zw3bKj

Similar to an iTunes gift card, the gift of an Audible membership is wonderful for a traveler. With thousands of books and genres to choose from, listening to an Audio book on a travel day can be a lifesaver for boredom (or even to help you sleep, we won’t judge). http://amzn.to/2BhVBQM

Nerd alert!!! Ok, no, but yes. With ‘net neutrality’ being a hot topic right now a VPN is a fantastic gift. Unfettered access to your favorite web-sites and tv shows while abroad can easily be location restricted by local governments.

A VPN makes it look like you are still browsing the internet from home and your internet will work just like like you are sitting in your living room while in reality you might be in a Paris cafe! Plus it has the added bonus of adding an extra layer of protection your your internet usage making you more secure on line.

The Way Away is Josh and Ashley Brown, husband and wife world travelers. Our mission is to bring the world closer by showing the uniqueness of our cultures and promoting unity around the world. Subscribe to our channel to watch our daily travel vlogs.

Sultan Ahmet Mosque (The Blue Mosque) in Istanbul is a sight to see when visiting Istanbul Turkey. Plus, we head over to Kadıköy to meet with friends and play counter strike.

The Way Away is Josh and Ashley Brown, husband and wife world travelers. Our mission is to bring the world closer by showing the uniqueness of our cultures and promoting unity around the world. Subscribe to our channel to watch our daily travel vlogs.